How To Differentiate Between Natural Sugar And Added Sugar?
Image Credit: Sugar Differentiation

Added sugars are found in nature and are consumed in their natural state. They are added during food processing such as dextrose or sucrose, packaged foods such as sweeteners and table sugar. Fruit, for example, includes fructose, while dairy products contain lactose. These sugars nevertheless have elements that are beneficial to general health. Furthermore, natural sugars are frequently combined with fibre, which slows the sugar rate, which affects your blood sugar levels. As a result, your metabolism remains stable, and you feel fuller for a long time after you eat. Sugars are added to foods during processing (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices added sugars. Conversely, natural sugars present in milk, fruits, and vegetables are excluded. 

Common Sugary Foods

  1. Muffins, cake, cupcakes, and brownies are examples of pastries
  2. Coffee creamers and nut milk 
  3. Juice from fruits and soda 
  4. Yoghurt with added sugar 
  5. A scoop of ice cream
  6. Bread and candy 

Dt. Shikha Mahajan Shares Difference Between Added Sugar and Natural Sugar 

Natural sugars and added sugars are vastly different. Natural sugars can be found in our whole meals, such as fruit, containing fibre and antioxidants. Added sugars are added to packaged goods during manufacturing and provide no nutritional value (besides calories). Give examples. 

Is it better to consume added or natural sugars? Explains Holistic Nutritionist

  1. If you don't read food labels carefully, added sugar can rapidly become a problem. When eating packaged and processed goods, it's challenging to avoid added sugar, and while it gives us that sweet flavour that so many of us like, it's simply empty calories.
  2. We don't get any additional nutrition from added sugars. Excessive consumption over time can lead to diabetes, weight gain, and possibly heart disease.
  3. Added sugar is also addictive, which is a significant problem. We crave more sugar the more sugar we eat.